Another kiting article.

Another great little article about Kiteing.

http://www.caymannetnews.com/cgi-script/csArticles/articles/000078/007801.htm

With the windy season fast approaching, local kite-surfers took to the waters of North Sound to work on their skills.

A kite-surfer stands on a board with foot straps
or bindings and uses the power of a large controllable kite to propel
them and the board across the water.

However, this simplicity also makes kite-surfing
challenging. Your body is the only connection between the kite and the
board and you have to control them both at the same time, piloting the
kite in the sky and steering the board on the water.

The sport is still in its infancy but is rapidly
growing in popularity. In 1998, there were probably less than thirty
kite-surfers worldwide. In 2006, the number of kite-surfers has been
estimated at around 150,000 to 200,000.

There are reckoned to be in the region of 50
kite-surfers and learner kite-surfers on Grand Cayman, with the number
growing steadily. According to local enthusiast Tristan Relly,
“Here in the Cayman, kite-surfers, kite-boarders or simply
‘riders’ are in it for love of the sport and being out in
nature.

Regular places were you can see them blasting
around the water or boosting big air are Conch Point in the Barkers
National Park, East End or South Sound, depending on the direction of
the wind,” he added.

He said that getting set up usually costs between $1,000 and $2,500.

“The inherent risks of dealing with the
variability of the weather and the power generated by the kite mean
that fitness combined with a thorough understanding of the local
conditions and knowing how to control the equipment is absolutely key
to safe and fun enjoyment of the sport,” he said.

“Lessons are highly recommended before
attempting to fly these kites, as they can generate a surprising amount
of power and inappropriate use can land one in serious trouble.
Combining that with riding a board on the water requires further
practice.”

Technorati Tags: kiteboarding, kitesurfing

myrtle beach

http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/mld/myrtlebeachonline/15936770.htm

Go fly a kite

To enthusiasts, winds along Strand inviting

By Steve Palisin

The Sun News

Folks in one facet of flying probably don't take offense at being told to "go fly a kite."

With summer long flown by, Grand Strand beaches provide even more room for flying kites.

Robert Taylor of North Myrtle Beach said he enjoys cavorting with
kites at least three times a week, whenever he can break away from his
professional demands as a restaurant manager.

Speaking one afternoon from his favorite Myrtle Beach spot off North
Ocean Boulevard for his hobby, Taylor, 31, describes his most memorable
- and first - time flying a kite. With a kite purchased on a family
vacation to Myrtle Beach, and extra line added, the kite soared about
3,000 feet high.

"It was so far up there, I'm surprised it didn't snap," he said,
leading to another inevitable family moment - when it was time to go.
"So we looked at one another and asked, 'Who's reeling it in?' "

Twenty-two years later, Taylor views his getaways to fly kites - or
to go kiteboarding, flying himself along the shores - as time for
thoughts, "for clearing your slate."

"You go out there and the only thing you have is the wind and
nature," he said. "Nothing outside of your wind range is going to
bother you at that time."

Rick Kligman co-owns Klig's Kites, with three locations, with his brother, Bruce.

Walking through their store at the Coastal Grand mall in Myrtle
Beach, Kligman says most customers are tourists, and the busy season
starts with cabin fever in February and lasts through September.

With a two-handle roll of string, Kligman said, "You steer a kite just like you steer a car."

Looking up at display models dotting the walls with color, he
pointed out popular shapes of kites, such as diamond, delta (triangle),
parafoil, box, airplane, prism and sled.

Technorati Tags: kiteboarding, myrtle,